Many consumers, particularly those in the global business, education and government arenas, desire to collaborate with colleagues at remote locations. There are numerous modern options available for consumers at remote locations to communicate with each other, such as telephones, fax machines, and e-mail among other things. There are, however, few options available that enable consumers at different locations to collaborate with each other on group projects, joint tasks and the like.
Some limited options include using a chalkboard or whiteboard during a presentation to capture ideas, take notes, and draw images and diagrams. In most cases, the chalkboard or whiteboard is non-shareable for multiple location setups and only those persons located in the same room as the presenter are able to view the chalkboard or whiteboard presentation. Even if the presentation is recorded for viewing by persons at remote locations, it does not provide the capability of instantaneous interaction and collaboration between participants.
More recently, consumers have used a laptop computer/projection combination to give presentations. Here, a software application can be used on a laptop computer to generate a substantial amount of visual and graphical data, which can be projected onto a screen. The images on the laptop may also be projected and viewed on screens at remote locations. Generally, the presenter using this type of system stands by the projector and operates the software on the laptop, while a second person makes notes and annotations with a dry erase marker on the screen or substrate on which the image from the laptop is being projected. Alternatively, the presenter may be able to stand near the projected image and offer his or her presentation. When the presenter wants to make notes, annotations or other graphical images, he or she is required to step down to the laptop to create the graphical data so that it can be viewed by persons at remote locations. Thus, presenters using laptop computer/projection combinations do not have a simple method for capturing hand written data live during a presentation.
More recently, consumers have utilized interactive whiteboards, which provide for spontaneity and ease of sharing ideas between people at different locations. This solution is disadvantageous in that it can be expensive since each participating location or meeting room must be equipped with its own interactive whiteboard. In addition, interactive whiteboards require a variety of accessories, such as pens in various colors and erasers, among other things.